The art and science of facial skin treatment to achieve and maintain a healthful condition and attractive appearance is very old and very comprehensive. The literature is replete with proposed treatments and compositions for that purpose which involve both physical and chemical approaches. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,472 (Kligman) a largely physical procedure is disclosed which comprises applying a layer of liquid polymerizable adhesive to the skin, then applying a pliable adhesive tape to cover the applied liquid adhesive and allowing the polymerization of the polymerizable adhesive to take place, followed by removing the layer of polymerized adhesive from the skin by stripping the tape from the skin. The materials on the surface of the skin and within the sebaceous follicles are thus attached to and removed along with the layer of polymerized adhesive and the tape.
By far the most common chemical treatment involves the use of soaps and detergent materials to render the natural oils and other biological materials secreted through the pores soluble or dispersable in water. These soaps or detergents are frequently combined with mildly abrasive materials, such as oat flour, or are used in conjunction with pads which comprise or contain abrasive substances such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,022.
A third general type of skin cleansing is also quite old in the art and involves the use of materials such as clays, activated carbons and the like which are applied to the skin surface as a flowable dispersion or paste and allowed to dry to form what is commonly called a mask. In the dried state the mask composition acts as an absorbent for the surface and sebaceous oils. Upon removal of the mask, the undesirable retention products of the skin and pores are also removed. Such topical dermatological compositions, particularly those containing calcium sulfate, are disclosed in Bich N. Le U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,802, issued Apr. 5, 1988.
It is generally the case that the prior-proposed compositions which are utilized in the form of dry-hardened facial masks have one or more troublesome properties either from an aesthetic or functional standpoint. Many which contain clays, either alone or in combination with activated carbon, are dark, even black, in color and elaborate care must be exercised in their application and removal to avoid contact with and staining of clothing, toweling, linens or the like usually present at the site of the skin treatment or employed directly in carrying out the treatment. In many instances it is found necessary to include mineral oil and/or xantham gums to ameliorate the harsh properties of the dried mask composition. These additives are somewhat counterproductive in that they tend to be comedogenic and contribute to the clogged-pore condition sought to be remedied. Further, most of the organic constituents of the prior-proposed mask composition have distinct and often unpleasant chemical odors which must be endured by the person undergoing the treatment either as such or combined with a strong odor-masking fragrance.